IKEA’s Plans to Become a Solar Energy Powerhouse

CITYLAB: Want Solar Panels on Your Roof? Here’s What You Need to Know

The newness of mainstream consumer solar power poses a challenge. If you want to buy a car, for instance, there are plenty of people who’ve done it and can tell you how the process works. Putting solar panels on your roof costs as much as a car, but the cohort of experienced buyers is far, far smaller. The number of customers who have owned a solar system through its full lifecycle is even more limited.

Besides that, the stakes are high—this is going on your roof, after all. “This is a big one. This is one where you can’t say, ‘well, if I make a mistake, the next time I’ll know better,’” says Jane Weissman, the president and CEO of the nonprofit Interstate Renewable Energy Council, which just released a consumer checklist and other resources for rooftop solar.

The cost of solar keeps on falling and the number of installations keeps rising, so CityLab decided to chat with some solar experts to walk readers through the most important questions to consider before making the jump to solar energy. Continue to the entire article

TECHEXEC: IKEA’s Plans to Become a Solar Energy Powerhouse

For years now IKEA has had a strong commitment to environmental responsibility and last week the organisation’s green credentials received yet another boost with it announcing that it plans to expand its solar sales. Already the world’s biggest furniture seller, IKEA has announced plans that it hopes will make it the global leader in retail solar home units.

In the next few months, it plans to expand its solar sales points. The Swedish retail giant has already tested pilot programs in the Netherlands, the UK, and Switzerland. The roll-out will be based in these three regions before eventually expanding to nine countries before the end of 2017. Customers would not need to visit stores when shopping for their renewables as products will also be available online. Continue to the entire article

NPR: Massachusetts House passes compromise solar energy bill

The Massachusetts House passed a compromise solar energy bill Wednesday, but environmentalists say it falls short of what is needed. The bill lifts a cap on credits for selling solar energy to utilities that had been reached or nearly reached in many sections of the state, including those served by National Grid, such as the Attleboro area.

The cap had prevented many planned solar projects from getting started. Executives at local companies such as Sustainable Energy Professionals and U.S. Solar Works said it was killing their businesses. Continue to the entire article

PATCH: Fake Solar Energy Salesman Robs Rancho Palos Verdes Home: Police

A home in Rancho Palos Verdes was burglarized Wednesday by a man who had been posing as a solicitor for solar energy, authorities said. Deputies from the sheriff’s Lomita Station responded around 9 a.m. to the home in the 6100 block of Arrowroot Lane and discovered a smashed glass door and confirmed a burglary had occurred, said Sgt. Thomas Arellano.

However, the suspect had fled the location. Security video captured the suspect in the act of breaking in. The suspect vehicle was an older white Lexus sedan with a sunroof. Continue to the entire article